Playing The Brother Game
by Songstone
Summary: Itachi Uchiha had to leave his brother behind when he fled Konoha, even if it pained him. He wasn't going to be able to be a big brother to Sasuke anymore. However, the young bomber he's just recruited might be in need of some guidance.


**Playing The Brother Game**

**A story by Sonstone**

**Songstone: A CHAPTER STORY AT LAST. WHOOOO. But yeah, I plan to continue this. 8D I like the idea.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Chapter 1: Common Sense**

"Sasori, let him out."

"Hn?" The ex-Suna nin shifted his gaze from straight ahead of himself to his right until he could see Itachi's thin form in the corner of his vision. "Why would I do that?" He asked next.

"He's been too quiet for too long. It isn't a problem for you to ride in that puppet of yours, but it would get hot in there. The boy will have a heat stroke." The Uchiha's red eyes moved down to Sasori's main means of transportation; a large, hulking puppet he kept by the name of Hiruko.

"It's the only way to keep him quiet." Sasori argued in his usual monotone. "He can last until we're back at the base."

"If he hasn't already suffocated to death." Itachi shot back in nearly the same bored tone as the puppeteer.

"Hey, Itachi-san's right." Kisame said, shifting his heavy sword over his shoulder. "Leader would be mad if you brought back a dead kid instead of a new member."

"...Hn..." Was Sasori's response to both men. But he stopped walking nonetheless, turning around and extending a hand towards his puppet. The bluish chakra wires became visible as his ring finger twitched, pulling at the head of the puppet and opening it up.

There was a long pause when all three Akatsuki members caught sight of the blond child within Hiruko's hollow body.

The thirteen-year-old was curled up pathetically, his blond hair loose and stuck to any part of skin that was exposed and sweaty. His eyes were half-lidded and glazed over, like he was on the verge of completely losing consciousness.

A small puddle of clear, watery liquid was resting near the side of his head as well, and seeing it made Sasori's lips pull down into a frown.

"He threw up." The redhead said, now starting to sound a bit irritated.

"It's the heat." Itachi informed his companion. He was the first to step forward and kneel besides the puppet's open body. He blatantly ignored the vomit that was swirling around the young Iwa-nin's head and instead just grabbed the boy by the shoulders, heaving him upwards.

"Nn..." The quiet mumbles were the only sign that showed the boy (who went by the name of Deidara) was still alive. He was limp in the Uchiha's grasp, allowing himself to be removed completely from Hiruko.

Itachi kept the boy propped up with one arm and knee, and when he had him settled, he reached back with one hand. "Give me your water bottle." He instructed Kisame, snapping his fingers for urgency.

Kisame did so without complaint, reaching into his cloak and unsnapping the flask off of his belt. He placed it in Itachi's open hand and then went back to observing what his young partner was doing. "Good call on getting him out of there, Itachi-san." He commented.

Sasori just huffed and crossed his arms.

"It's just common sense." Itachi clarified without looking up. Using only one hand, he unscrewed the cap on the flask and then slowly placed it to the younger male's lips.

At first, Deidara didn't react to the water touching his tongue. But after a moment when Itachi had tilted it up a bit more, the blond stirred and then began to slurp up the warm liquid hungrily. His eyes rolled slowly beneath the lids that had slipped completely closed, slowly fluttering though not opening completely yet.

The Uchiha got a groan of displeasure from the boy when he pulled the bottle back, but he didn't want to get him even sicker by letting him drink too much, too quickly. He placed the cap back on the flask and then tossed it back to Kisame, grabbing the teenager under the neck and legs before he heaved himself to his feet.

Sasori was the one who kept him balanced as he stumbled back a bit from the extra weight in his arms. The redhead grunted lightly; with his free hand he snapped his puppet closed again, muttering something about how he was going to make 'that brat' clean up his mess later.

"I'll carry him if he's too much for you, Itachi-san." Kisame offered, holding out a hand to see if the Uchiha wanted to let him do so.

But Itachi just shook his head and righted himself, shifting the boy's dead weight in his arms. "I'll carry him." He knew that Kisame would only sling the kid over his shoulder, and that wouldn't be the best form of transportation given the shape he was in now.

He might have asked Sasori to be the one to take the child, but the man was currently tugging Hiruko along behind himself with his chakra wires since he wasn't going to sit inside of it for obvious reasons.

"Let's move." He told both of his comrades, tossing his head in the direction of the Akatsuki base.

"Tch. Impatient prick." Kisame grunted, shifting his sword again. "Come on then, Itachi-san."

"Mm." The raven haired man just gave a faint nod and then began walking forward. The blond's weight wasn't as bad now that he had gotten braced; in fact, he seemed quite thin for a boy of his age.

The bloody Sharingan moved down to focus on the young bomber's half-slumbering face, and it was only then that Itachi seemed to notice just how young that the boy was. Sure, he knew that the kid was only thirteen (just two years younger than Itachi was, in fact), but seeing him fight and talk somehow made him look older.

"Mm..." Deidara mumbled quietly to himself, brow furrowing against the hot sun still beating down on his face. He squirmed in Itachi's arms and ended up with the side of his face pushed against the older man's shoulder.

Sighing, the Uchiha really didn't have much choice other than to let him do as he pleased for the moment. His eyes still flickered downwards occasionally, making sure that the boy was all right.

Itachi couldn't help but to think of how much he was reminded of Sasuke when he peered down at the blond. Not that there were physical similarities, of course; Deidara and Sasuke were completely opposites when it came to looks.

But...there was something so...familiar about him. Maybe--maybe it was his brotherly spirit talking here? But no, that's ridiculous. For one, they had just met. For two, this boy was obviously capable of taking care of himself, whereas Sasuke had looked up to Itachi for everything.

Still...

It couldn't hurt to...to just look after their newest recruit, right? Just to be sure that he was adjusting all right?

No, of course not.

So, as the days moved forward since the first day Deidara was brought to the Akatsuki base, Itachi Uchiha did just that.

**Songstone: SO. What will happen to Deidara? Will he get himself killed within the first week? What about Itachi? Is he really planning to look out for the Iwa nin? FIND OUT NEXT TIME. 8D LOLOLOLOLOL I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THAT. -shot-**

P.S: I hope to change the title later. D8 Any suggestions would be appreciated.

P.S.S: Thank you, Sasori-danna, for helping me get unstuck in this story again! 8D


End file.
